Ancient Greece: In the Beginning

Before the time of a democratic Athens, or a conquering Alexander the Great, there existed a fledgling Greek society that remains shrouded in mystery. A time so mysterious, that it was often regarded by the Classical Greeks as a time constructed by myth more than by man. It was a civilization that appeared from nothing, building palatial city-states and expanding trade across the known world.

They conquered neighboring societies and waged wars that would become legend hundreds of years later. They were the Mycenaeans. A society that once ruled the Late Bronze Age of Greece, they promptly vanished from history and slowly faded into legend. Read more: The Rise, The Fall, and The Mystery

Homers The Odyssey Books 1-24.docx: You will be assigned 1 of the 24 books (or chapters) that make up Homer's epic tale The Odyssey. Each of these books (or chapters) have been summarized and translated into English already. Your job is to tell the story of your book so the class can understand. This idea and assignment came from: Spark Notes: Homer's The Odyssey. If you need help or need an overview of the main characters this site will help.

TO BE A CITIZEN OF A CITY-STATE: The ancient Greeks referred to themselves as citizens of their individual city-states. Each city-state (polis) had its own personality, goals, laws and customs. Ancient Greeks were very loyal to their city-state. The city-states had many things in common. They all believed in the same gods. They all spoke the same language. But if you asked an ancient Greek where he was from, he would not say, "I live in Greece." If he was from Sparta, he would say, "I am Spartan." If he lived in Athens, he would say, "I am Athenian." And so it went. The city-states might band together to fight a common foe, but they also went to war with each other. There was no central government in ancient Greece. Each city-state had its own form of government. Some city-states, like Corinth, were ruled by kings. Some, like Sparta, were ruled by a small group of men. Others, like Athens, experimented with new forms of government. Five of the most powerful Greek city-states: Athens, Sparta Corinth, Megara, Argos. Learn more about each city-state from Mr. Donn's website: Mr. Donn's Ancient Greece website

The Classical Period or Golden Age of Greece, from around 500 to 300 BCE, has given us the great monuments, art, philosophy, architecture and literature which are the building blocks of our own civilization. Read more:Travel Guide: History of Greece

Directions: Read p.304-317 in your My World History textbook and answer the Democracy in Athens Discussion Questions in your COMP books:

Discussion Questions:

What is democracy?

What details show that Athens developed a system of democracy?

Can you name other forms of government?

How did Solon contribute to the development of democracy in Athens?

How did Pericles change the practice of government in Athens?

How was the democracy in Athens different from the democracy we enjoy in the U.S.A.?

Alexander the Great

and his Empire

Alexander III of Macedonia streaked like a meteor across the ancient world. When he was only 20, he inherited an empire that included the kingdom of Macedonia and the city-states of Greece. Almost immediately, Alexander set out to conquer the Persian Empire, which stretched from Egypt to India. He achieved his dream by the time he was 30, but he died just a few years later.